Gulfport Army Air Field Hangar, also known as FBO Hangar and Gulfport Municipal Airport Terminal, was constructed in 1944-45 for use in training combat crews to operate the

B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...

. Located in Gulfport, Mississippi, the hangar was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2011, and was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 2012.

History

In support of the United States entry into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Gulfport Army Air Field was constructed in 1942 to serve as a training facility for aviation units associated with heavy bombers, such as the

B-17 The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

. In 1944, the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...

expanded the Gulfport Air Field and began constructing the present hangar to accommodate the larger B-29 bomber. The concrete and steel hangar has a large vaulted roof with one-story,

lean-to A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free-standing lean-to structures are generally used as shelters. One traditional type of lean-to is known by its Finn ...

additions, on the east and west sides, along its length. The hangar is approximately long, north to south, and wide. Two-inch thick gypsum planks were used to cover the roof, and the planks were sealed with bitumen. Access to the hangar was through a series of sliding wood doors, covered in

sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes. Thicknesses can vary significantly; ex ...

. Sheet metal was also used as siding for the structure. When World War II ended, the Gulfport Army Air Field was declared excess property and was transferred by the

War Assets Administration The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Ord ...

to the City of Gulfport in 1949. The western lean-to addition on the hangar was used as the Gulfport Municipal Airport passenger terminal from about 1947 until 1963. The hangar was then leased to various aviation enterprises through August 2005, when the structure was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Restoration of the hangar began in 2015. Hangar restoration was completed in May 2016. On May 26, 2016, the Gulfport–Biloxi Regional Airport Authority held an official lease signing agreement, transferring the hangar to the

Mississippi National Guard The Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), commonly known as the Mississippi Guard, is both a Mississippi state and a federal government organization, part of the United States National Guard. It is part of the Mississippi Military Department, a stat ...

.WWII hangar restoration completed at GPT
Retrieved 2016-10-22.

Gallery

Image:GulfportArmyAirfieldHangar.jpg, Hangar's east elevation, 2011 Image:Gulfport Army Air Field Hangar 2011.jpg, Hangar's northeast elevation, 2011 Image:Gulfport Army Air Field Hangar, October 2015.jpg, Hangar restoration progress 2015 Gulfport Army Air Field Hangar (April 2016).jpg, Hangar's northeast elevation, 2016

References

{{Registered Historic Places Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Buildings and structures in Gulfport, Mississippi Mississippi Landmarks Aircraft hangars in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Harrison County, Mississippi Aircraft hangars on the National Register of Historic Places 1944 establishments in Mississippi